Did you know that in 2022, the Japanese language (Nihonggo) has ranked 13th among the world’s most-spoken languages with over 125.4 million speakers? Aside from this, Japan continues to dominate when it comes to travel and pop culture, making the language a definite point of interest for many people. Interested in learning the language too?
Interested to learn the Japanese language? There are many online resources — including podcasts — to make it easy.
Apart from language classes that you can enrol in, many online resources help you to learn the language at your own pace and leisure. One of the most convenient methods nowadays is through podcasts, which allow you to listen to Japanese language lessons even when you’re on the go. Curious which ones we’re currently tuning into to improve our Nihonggo skills? Scroll on to find out. P.S. They’re free!
1. JapanesePod101
JapanesePod101 started as a popular website offering language classes from native Japanese language teachers. It has since branched out to offer online learning resources on various platforms, including a podcast on Spotify. Its lessons are easy to understand, with modules explained both in English and Japanese. The lessons cover topics such as particles, common phrases and expressions, sentence structures, and more, all tweaked for beginners.
2. Manga Sensei
Manga Sensei is best known for creating comics written in hiragana (Japanese syllabic alphabet often used for local terminologies and inflections), targeted towards new learners of the Japanese language. But aside from this, its site also offers free downloadable materials for reading, writing, and speaking Japanese. As a supplement to these resources, it also created a podcast series of five-minute lessons that cover basic grammar and language studies. Some podcast episodes challenge learners to practice certain lesson topics for 30 days in relation to day-to-day activities, allowing for a more practical and relatable approach to learning.